Gravity-feed emergency device for motor-vehicles.



APPLICATION FILED APR. 27, 1911.

wwmwwm '13. G. SMITH.

GRAVITY FEED EMERGENCY DEVICE FOR MOTOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 27, 1911.

Patented Nov. 21, 1911.

r". 5K; $W4O/@ l eral features and advantages as herein speci- To allwhom it may concern:

EDWARD 0. SM T or SAN mneo, CALIFORNIA.

=,,;Speciflcation of Letters Patent:

' Patented Nov. 21, 1911.

Be it known that I, EDWARD C. SMITH, a citiz'en'of the United States,residing at San Diego, in the county of San Diego and State ofCalifornia, have invented a new and useful Gravity-Feed Emergency Devicefor V Motor-Vehicles, of which the following is a specification.

This inventlon has :relation to an emergency fuel feeding device formotor vehicles, more particularly of that class having gas or internalcombustion engines for the motive power, and in which the fuel supplytank and motor are located at opposite ends of the vehicle, theinvention having the sevfied, its objects being the provision oflnexpensive and durable parts of simple construction whereby anemergency supply of fuel or gasolene may be kept in a osition to beavailable for use, should the inclination of the vehicle or other causeprevent the main supply from reaching the carbureter.

In the usual'construction of motor vehicles the fuel supply tank and thecarbureter of the engine are located at opposite ends of the vehicle,being a considerable distance apart, the gravity system of feed beingemployed therein, and, when the vehicle is climbing a hill, theinclination'of the vehicle is such that the fuel or gasolene fails toreach the carbureter, thus causing the engine to become dead at acrucial moment, and

thereby stopping the vehicle. To obviate these and other defects I haveprovided a device in which an auxiliary tank, ada ted to hold a smallsupply-of fuel or gaso ene,

is so mounted as to be withinveasy reach from the drivers seat, and in aposition which will cause the contents to be fed by gravity to thecarburetor at any time the Inclination of the vehicle will cause themain supply to fail, the auxiliary tank being de tachable and providedwith a stop-cock and a pipe extending therefrom to the main supply pipeof the carbureter, union joints and connections being provided wherebythe device may be'easily detached and bodily removed from the vehicle ifdesired. I further provide means for the automatic refilling of theauxiliary tank, a branch pipe ex tending from the mainsupply pipe to the*top of'the auxiliary tank n such manner that the fuel or ga'solene willpass into the said auxiliary tank when the vehicle is inl l l 7Application filed iApril 27, 1911. Serial No. 623,782.

- clined in going on a down-grade, and I further projnde a ball-valve inthe main supply pipe which permits the fuel or gasolene to pass freelyto the carbureter and to the auxiliary tank, but prevents the contentsofthe auxiliary tank from going back into the main supply tank when thevehicle is climbing a hill, my invention comprising the combination andarrangement of arts, substantially as herein described and clalmed, andof which a convenient embodiment is shown in the accompanying drawings.

While simple and efliclent means are herein provided for accomplishingthe objects of the invention and the elements shown and described arewell adapted to serve the purposes for which they are intended, it is tobe understood that no limitation is necessarily made tothe precisestructural details herein exhibited, but that changes, alterations, andmodifications which are within the spirit and scope ofthe invention, maybe made when desired.

Referring to the accompanying drawings in which like reference,characters denote corresponding parts of the device: Figure *1 is aperspective view of an auxiliary tank attached to the dash-board of anautomobile, and shows in detail the union connections and delivery pipeleading to the main supply pipe of the carbureter. Fig. 2 is aperspective and detail view of -the auxiliary tank having .the deliverypipe extending from a side thereof. Fig. 3 is a perspective and detailview of the auxiliary tank mounted in the forward end of the radiator,the

tank being provided with a branch pipe leading from the main supply pipeto and entering the said auxiliary tanknear the to whereby the same maybe automatically refilled when the forward end of the vehicle is lowerthan the rear, as in descending a steep grade, the arrangement asillustrated showin a difierent form of my invention. Fig. 451sasecti'onaldetail view of the ball check-valve which prevents the fuelor gasolene from returning into the main supply tank. Fig. 5 is a.detail view of the device'- appilied to a motor vehicle. I oreparticularl of the drawings, auxil1 ary tank 1 is re erably of taperingform narrow at the ottom whereby the contents may be thoroughly drainedtherefrom, and is provided wit extensions 2, engaging with correspondingbrackets 3-, and with thumb screws 4t, whereby the auxiliary tank may bequickly attached to or removed from the vehicle. stop cock 5, at thebottom of the auxiliarytank is adapted to control the flow of theoil-fuel or gasolene from said tank to the motor, a pipe 6 beingprovided which extends from the stop-cock to main supply. pipe 7,leading to carbnreter 8. Union connector 9' renders the devicedetachable. Talrfik-filler .10 is for refilling the auxiliary ta v Inthe modified form. of the invention illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4,auxiliary tank vmain supply tube auxiliary tank, and

11, is attached to the front end of the radiator and is provided with anadditional wall 12, with an air space between the said wall and the bodyof the tank, whereby the contents of said auxiliary tank are protectedfrom the heat of the engine.- With the ve-- hicle in motion a draft ofcold air enters continuously at the bottom and passes to the top of saidair space, thus cooling the contents of the auxiliary tank. Atthe'bottom of auxiliary tank 11, a stop-cock 13 is ,=provided, the samebeing operable from the drivers seat by means of handle14 extendingthrough the dash-board of the-vehicle. P .nch pipe 15 extends from 16,to the top of the is adapted to convey the fuel thereto, as often asthe'vehicle may be suflicientlyinclined with the front end lower thanthe rear. A.delivery pipe 17,- extends from stop-cock 1 3 to carbureter18, carrying fuel thereto from the auxiliary tank, when released by theoperator. Aball check- ,valve 19, in the main supply pipe, ermits thefree passage of fuelv to the'car ureter, but prevents the samefrom'returning to the main supply tank'-21- when fed from theauzn'h'arytank. A pop safety-.valve 20, is

provided to relieve any extr me pressure which might arise within theauxiliary tank.

It is Ito be understood that the auxiliary tank may be mounted on anypart' of the for ward (end of the vehicle without altering theprinciple; "of the invention, and similarly, variousmea'ns may beprovided for opening "the stop-cock from the drivers seat, the es-' tankby and applicable to the Y sence ofjmy invention comprising the-ar- 50rangement of the auxiliary tank in any positlonabove'and within arelatively short distance from the carbureter, together withautomatically releasing the contents. thereo-ffand conveyin' the sametothe carbureter, my invention-being operable gravity system of fuelsupply for motor vehicles.- I claim as my invention: I 1. The combnation with a=-motor v havmg a carburetor, a main. fuel supply and amain fuel suppljfipjpe from said means for refilling the same 1 maintank to'the carbureter, of an auxiliary supply tank near to a deliverypipe leading from within: the tank,

' auxilia tank for the :cil" as set::-fo'

'cle' v .Witnesses:

and above the plane of the carbureter, the auxiliary tank to thecarbureter, a stopcock in said delivery pipe for controlling thedelivery ofthe contents of the auxiliary tank to the carbureter, abranch pipe. extending from the main supply pipe to the top of theauxiliary tank for refilling the same, and a check-valve pipe to preventthe fuel in the delivery and branch pipes from returning to the mainsupply tank of the vehicle, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with a motor 'vehicle v having a carbureter, a mainfuel supply tank, and a main fuel supply pipe from said main tank to thecarbureter, of an auxiliary supply tank, a delivery pipe extending fromthe auxiliary tank to the carbureter, a refilling pipe extending fromthe main supply pipe to the top of the auxiliary tank, and a check-valvein the'main supply pipe for preventing the return of the fuel to themain fuel supply tank, the parts being arranged to automatically operateby gravity, substantially as set forth; 3. The combination with a motorvehicle having. a carbureter, a main fuel supply tank, and a main fuelsupply pipe from said main tank to thecarbureter, of an auxiliary supplytank, means for delivering the contents of the auxiliary tank to thecarbureter, a pipe b'etweenthe auxiliary tank and main supply pipe forreplenishing the supply of fuel-Vin the auxiliary tank, and means forprotebting the auxiliary tank from the heat of-t-hesengine and from anexcess of pressure comprising a 'safety-yalve mounted on theat itnk, anda protecting'walltherefor with an airspace between. said wall and thebody of said tank, adaptedfto J 1 05 the circulation of air; thereinduring the motion of the vehicle, substantially as set forth. 4, Incombination with a motor vehicle having a carbureter, a mainfuelsupplyfi tank, and a main .fuel supply pipe from-. said main tank tothe carbureter, of an auxiliary supply tank mounted attheforwa'rd-endof; the vehicle, a pipe between the auxiliary" tank and mainsupply' pipefor refilling'the,

tank, means tents to the carbure er, and an additional and top and,an-air opening at the bottom v p and the body ofsaid space betweenthewall In testimony whereof,. I my ture, in'presenceofftw'o witnesses. TEDWARD C. SMITH.

rum it F: M. Knnimr in the main supply for delivering the coniwall'incasing said auxiliary tank havingan.

ul'ationjof air, substantially

